Electro-optic polymer devices having high performance claddings, and methods of preparing the same

Electro-optic (EO) devices having an EO polymer core comprising a first host polymer and a first nonlinear optical chromophore (NLOC); and a cladding comprising a second host polymer and a second NLOC, and methods of preparing the same; wherein the first NLOC has a first bridge covalently bonded to an electron-accepting group and an electron-donating group; wherein the second NLOC has a second bridge covalently bonded to an electron-accepting group and an electron-donating group; and wherein the second bridge is less conjugated than the first bridge such that the cladding has an index of refraction that is less than that of the EO polymer core, and wherein the second NLOC is present in the second host polymer in a concentration such that the cladding has a conductivity equal to or greater than at least 10% of the conductivity of the EO polymer core at a poling temperature.